Mele Con Salsa Di Lampone (Apples with Raspberry Sauce)

As custom dictates, good meals finish with a fresh fruit rather than being overwhelmed by an overly-sweet dessert. Too often we think of this as just an apple, a pear, or some other plain piece of fresh or canned fruit, but there are broader bounds of imagination in Sicily. This wonderful sweet dish is a perfect example of this. Traditionally, it is made with a raspberry liqueur called aspretto di lampone, which is made from raspberries that have been aged and fermented in fruit wood. In this recipe, though, we use a good-quality raspberry vinegar, which works easily just as well, and has the benefit of being much easier to find.
When I originally was experimenting with this recipe, I was thinking that fresh raspberries would be best. Upon reflection, however, I think that frozen berries are better. Fresh raspberries should just be eaten, not mixed with something. So go for the frozen section, and you'll pick up the benefit of probably saving yourself a buck or two.
I made this recipe for a cooking class that I taught last night, and I have to say, it was a triumph. Unbelievably good. I used Jonagold apples, and Alessi White Balsamic Raspberry Blush Vinegar. That's not the only raspberry vinegar out there, I know that Roland makes one, but it's the one that was available last night.
For the raspberry jam, home-made freezer jam or preserves would be great, but if y ou use store bought, try to get something that's not totally tanked out on sugar. The big corporate conglomorates dump lots of sugar and other stuff in there. A nice local-grown or organic jam would work nicely. Ultimately, the real goal here is to preserve the flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Raspberries (Fresh is best, but frozen is good too. See note above.)
3 T. Raspberry Jam
2 T. Sugar
1 T. freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
1 or 2 T. Raspberry Vinegar
10 medium, sweet, crispy Apples, (such as Jonagold), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped and lightly sweetened to taste

PREPARATION:

1. Use a food processor or a blender to puree the Raspberries, the Raspberry Jam, the Sugar, and the Lemon Juice.
2. Add the vinegar and blend well.
3. Put the sliced apples into a large bowl, and pour the raspberry mixture over the top. Gently mix so that all of the apples are coated.
4. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for about an hour.
5. When you are ready to serve, put some of the apples in an individual serving dish and spoon a little of the raspberry mixture over the top.
6. Top with a dollop of Whipped Cream.

Note: Alternately, if you happen to have some real Mascarpone cheese, this is a noble and proper use for that rare cheese. Instead of the whipped cream, put a small dollop of the Mascarpone on top. It is quite delightful. If you have a sweet tooth, you can even lightly sweeten the Mascarpone by mixing it with a little sugar. Use the finest sugar possible, (but not powdered sugar), and let it sit for a few minutes before putting it on the apples.